Research Studies

Research Studies on the Effectiveness of The Creative Curriculum® for Preschool

For more information, please contact Jennifer Park-Jadotte at 1-800-637-3652, ext. 30

To date, fair studies have been conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of The Creative Curriculum^® for Preschool. The first, an evaluation of the Department of Defense Sure Start program (Abbott-Shim, 2000), involved nearly 100 children in 10 randomly selected classrooms using The Creative Curriculum. Trained data collectors administered classroom observations, child assessments, and parent questionnaires to determine the quality of classroom teaching practices and to assess children's developmental gains. Click here for a summary of the Sure Start study.

The second study, conducted by the Louisiana Department of Education (LDE, 2001), also examined developmental gains for children in classrooms using The Creative Curriculum^®. Again, although a comparison group was not used, the results indicated positive average gains in three developmental areas: social/emotional development, cognitive development, and physical development.

The third study, sponsored by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is an ongoing effort to evaluate child outcomes and program quality in Head Start. The Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) conducted in 2000 used a random sample design. FACES researchers found that The Creative Curriculum^® was the most widely used curriculum and that programs that used an integrated curriculum showed greater gains in several cognitive and social/emotional areas. Click here for a summary of the pertinent findings from FACES.

A fourth study has recently been conducted by Philliber Research Associates for The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. This evaluation of children enrolled in 14 childcare centers found significant gains for children who were in classrooms receiving The Creative Curriculum intervention.
Click here for a summary of the Hartford Study.

Plans for Future Research

Teaching Strategies is committed to supporting researchers in examining the effectiveness of The Creative Curriculum. Currently underway are six studies of The Creative Curriculum.

US Department of Education-Preschool Curriculum Evaluation Research (PCER)

Two randomized experimental studies of The Creative Curriculum are being conducted as part of this national examination of early childhood curriculum effectiveness. One study is led by Dr. Richard Lambert and Dr. Martha Abbott-Shim involving children in North Carolina and Georgia programs. Another study led by Dr. Dale Farran is examining the effectiveness of The Creative Curriculum in children enrolled in Tennessee programs. These studies are sponsored by the US Department of Education and results are expected to be available in summer 2005.

State of Oklahoma

The State of Oklahoma Department of Education has sponsored a two part study. The first is an implementation study including pre-and post-test scores on classroom quality and implementation and focus groups of participants. The second part is a randomized experimental study of preschool programs in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The study includes center-based infant-toddler programs and preschool programs using The Creative Curriculum^® and programs not using The Creative Curriculum^®. The State of Oklahoma has contracted the evaluation to David Connell.  The earliest results of the implementation study are expected in early 2005. Further findings on child outcomes are expected in early 2006.

University of Missouri-Kansas City

The University of Missouri-Kansas City has been contracted with the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) covering Kansas City (Missouri and Kansas) to conduct an evaluation of a new Creative Curriculum-based teacher training model on child and family outcomes. The project is an Early Childhood Professional Development grant funded through the U.S. Department of Education. Their model includes teachers of children from birth through prekindergarten in both center care and family child care arrangements. The Principal Investigator on this evaluation is Kathy Fuger, UM-KC. The earliest results are expected in 2005.

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Currently underway is a randomized experimental study of The Creative Curriculum^® in North Carolina and Georgia, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences (IES) as part of its Preschool Curriculum Evaluation Research (PCER). Researchers Richard Lambert, UNCC, and Martha Abbott-Shim of Quality Counts, Inc. are the Principal Investigators for this research. The earliest results are expected to be available in early 2005.

Vanderbilt University

Dale Farran at Vanderbilt University is conducting a study of the effectiveness of The Creative Curriculum and Bright Beginnings as part of their PCER research funded through the US Department of Education, IES. The earliest results are expected in early 2005.

Finally, Teaching Strategies Inc. has initiated its own effort to expand the research available on the effectiveness of The Creative Curriculum^®. A Research Advisory Board, consisting of national experts in areas related to early education, has been established and has had an initial meeting in Fall 2002. With their assistance, a variety of rigorous research studies are being planned, with hopes to begin initial activities during the latter part of 2003.

For more information about research and The Creative Curriculum^®, please contact Jennifer Park-Jadotte at 1-800-637-3652.

References:

Abbott-Shim, M. (2000). Sure Start Effectiveness Study: Final Report. Atlanta, GA: Quality Assist, Inc.

Dodge, D.T. & Colker, L.J. (1992). The Creative Curriculum for Early Childhood. Washington, DC: Teaching Strategies, Inc.

Dodge, D. T., Colker, L. J., & Heroman, C. (2002). The Creative Curriculum^® for Preschool. Washington, DC: Teaching Strategies, Inc.

Pines, MN: American Guidance Service, Inc.

(ASBI): A new assessment of social competence in high-risk 3-year-olds. Journal of

Psychoeducational Assessment. 10, 230-239.

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For more information, please contact Jennifer Park-Jadotte at 1-800-637-3652, ext. 30.